Based in Washington, DC, Alec Christopher Schemmel is studying journalism and political science at American University. As a contributor to digital news sites like The Daily Caller, Alec Schemmel has reported on a variety of topics, including the cosmetics recall that made headlines in 2017.
In 2017, popular children’s brands Claire’s and Justice came under fire after testing uncovered that many of their talc-based cosmetics products contained asbestos. Justice recalled the affected items in September 2017, while Claire’s pulled eight of its own cosmetics in December of that same year. The actions of the companies alerted the FDA to the issue, and since third-party laboratories were tasked to do all the initial testing, the FDA elicited the help of AMA Analytical Services, Inc., to conduct its own testing.
Results from the FDA’s tests, which finally came back in February 2020, concluded that three samples from Claire’s and one from Justice tested positive for asbestos. The FDA has since published a safety alert for the affected Claire’s products, after the retailer failed to recall the items on its own.
The FDA has little authority over cosmetics manufacturers, which makes it near impossible for the agency to ensure that the products on the market are safe. This responsibility has fallen to legislators, some of whom are actively fighting to impose laws that will force manufacturers to disclose safety information about any cosmetics they sell to children.
In 2017, popular children’s brands Claire’s and Justice came under fire after testing uncovered that many of their talc-based cosmetics products contained asbestos. Justice recalled the affected items in September 2017, while Claire’s pulled eight of its own cosmetics in December of that same year. The actions of the companies alerted the FDA to the issue, and since third-party laboratories were tasked to do all the initial testing, the FDA elicited the help of AMA Analytical Services, Inc., to conduct its own testing.
Results from the FDA’s tests, which finally came back in February 2020, concluded that three samples from Claire’s and one from Justice tested positive for asbestos. The FDA has since published a safety alert for the affected Claire’s products, after the retailer failed to recall the items on its own.
The FDA has little authority over cosmetics manufacturers, which makes it near impossible for the agency to ensure that the products on the market are safe. This responsibility has fallen to legislators, some of whom are actively fighting to impose laws that will force manufacturers to disclose safety information about any cosmetics they sell to children.
